Executive Function Strategies Blog

You’ve reached one of those moments in parenting that you’ve dreaded: For the second quarter in a row, your son Ethan has come home with poor math grades on his report card. You want to get him the help he needs, so you hire a highly recommended tutor named Zak to help him out. Problem solved, right?

Parents often bring their children for neuropsychological testing to relieve some of the head-scratching that often comes along with having a child with weak Executive Function skills. They hope that their confusion will transform into some specific guidance as to how to best support their child. So, it can be quite a surprise when more questions arise after the testing is completed. The question that is on the minds of most parents searching for that next step is “How do I ensure that the support I choose for my child will address the issues uncovered during testing?” Parents want to know that the time and effort invested in a thorough evaluation process will bear some fruit; someone will be able to pick up where the evaluator left off and lead the child to success. The process could be said to be similar to entrusting a real estate agent to find you that perfect house; you’ve envisioned exactly what you want, but you need an expert who knows the field to deliver results. Executive Function coaches are often that someone when it comes to dovetailing the work of a neuropsychologist.

Have you ever seen kids give up and lose their interest in school? Is it laziness, lack of motivation, or is there more to the story? These children might be adept in many areas outside of school, but they have checked out of academics despite their potential to be successful students.

Families sometimes ask how we help students who are resistant to changing their work habits. The simple answer is by gentle guidance, not an iron fist. In truth, each resistant child is unique, so academic coaches tailor their approaches based on that individual child. The best way to illustrate our methods in action is through a case study of a real student. The names and other identifying details have been changed in this story to protect the family’s privacy.